Just a regular gal trying to become fit & healthy while still enjoying good chocolate and cheap chardonnay

Monday, January 12, 2015

Here I am, back to blogging, though I still don't have much to say..grin..I hope you'll bear with me and eventually I'll find some inspiration!
I'm sure everyone had a great holiday season but, if you're like me, you're ready to get back to normal. Maybe you've made some resolutions and have started a new routine? Instead of actual resolutions, I tend to choose a word or phrase to focus on throughout the year. In 2014, that word was "self." Self-love. Self-acceptance. Self-esteem. Etc. etc. It worked really well for me as I did take better care of myself. I focused more on me. I walked more, ate better, and lost a few pounds (12, to be exact).

This year I've chosen a phrase:

Take Your Time

As a kid, I remember Mom offering that advice. Whether it was while working on a homework assignment or baking cookies, she encouraged me to slow down and pay attention to what I was doing. When I start to rush around, especially when cooking, I hear her voice reminding me that there's no hurry. Better to take your time and do it right, not risk mistakes. This has served me well, on so many levels.
Turning 50 has reminded me that life is short, and I do literally need to take the time that I have left on this earth. Not take it for granted nor squander it away. Since I'm an empty-nester who doesn't work outside the home, I have a lot of time to myself. It's a luxury that not everyone has been granted, and I need to appreciate it more and spend it more wisely. So I'll be making a few changes this year, being more conscious of just how I use the 24 hours a day I'm given. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but I know there will be more beach walks, more healthy food, more writing, more crafts, more art, more books. Less worry and anxiety, less concern with the silly stuff that just doesn't matter. There will be fewer hours spent on Facebook. It sucks up so much of my time, I wish I could give it up completely but I would miss my friends there, and the connection to other vegans, sorely lacking in my "real" life.

Health wise, I've given left Weight Watchers and am back to Sparkpeople. I haven't changed my "diet," still focusing mostly on low fat whole foods, with a little vino and chocolate here & there. I'm being more gentle with myself, though, since having a conversation with Laura who suggested that I've been sabotaging myself, being a bit too extreme. More about that another time, for now I'm just doing the best I can.

I'm still receiving my local produce delivery, am really enjoying it! On Friday afternoon, Front Porch Pickings sends me an email detailing the fruits & veggies that will be delivered the following Wednesday, and I have til noon on Monday to make revisions. This gives me a couple of days to plan my weekly menu which I'll once again be posting here.
The weather here has been cool and grey, not great for beach visits but perfect for curling up on the couch with Netflix and a big bowl of soup! I'll be featuring several recipes from Robin Robertson's Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, one of my favorites.
Without further ado, this week's menu, in no particular order:

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"Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than the skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak one's soul, when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood."

"Beautiful? It's all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest... beautiful, no. Amusing, yes."